How long have fans waited for the return of the legendary Jon Jones to the UFC Octagon! The American has not fought since March last year, when he won the heavyweight belt for the first time in his career. Since then, a temporary champion has appeared in the division, who also managed to make one defense of this unique status.

But John ignored a legitimate contender in favor of a fight with another promotion legend, Stipe Miocic. Jones’s strategy proved correct.

Dominant victory over a weakened opponent

Before the fight, the American fighter of Croatian origin was a huge underdog. This is not surprising, because Stipe is already 42 years old, and the last time he fought was back in 2021. Many fans did not understand why the current champion would fight an elderly veteran who, frankly speaking, does not pose any threat.

But Miocic, despite his advanced age, is the best fighter in the history of the heavyweight division. Stipe holds the record for most successful title defenses in the division, so a win over such a fighter would solidify Jones’ legacy anyway.

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic / Photo: © Jeff Bottari / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

The fight fully justified the experts’ forecasts: the audience did not see any competition in the main event of UFC 309. In the first round, John showed who would dictate the terms of the fight. After several exchanges of blows, Jones effectively threw his opponent to the canvas with a back tripe and took a dominant position on the ground. Stipe miraculously survived until the end of the five-minute period, withstanding a hail of brutal blows to the face.

The miserably failed start to the fight, of course, affected Miocic. Not only did the challenger receive a serious cut, but he also seemed to have left all his strength in that very first round. In the second segment, Stipe “breathed” and could no longer carry out targeted attacks. John, by the way, also looked slow and passive, but delivered a little more blows, due to which he won the round.

The denouement came in the third five-minute period. Jones continued to methodically break down his opponent. The blows to the body and head completely confused Stipe. When Miocic stopped responding to the champion’s attacks, John delivered a sharp roundhouse kick directly to the opponent’s spleen. Stipe immediately collapsed on the floor and missed several more punches to the head. The judge quickly stopped the fight, since there was no point in watching the helpless challenger be beaten.

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Jones wins by technical knockout and sets the all-time record for title defenses in UFC history. The American now has 12 such victories.

What’s next for Jones

In a post-match interview, Jones said that he has no plans to retire yet, but did not answer the question about his next opponent.

Stipe, by the way, immediately after the fight announced his retirement from the sport. The loser admitted that he performed poorly and called John the best fighter of all time.

The winner of the UFC 309 main event must share the octagon with interim division champion Tom Aspinall, who has been waiting for his chance for a long time. League head Dana White spoke about this before the tournament. But it seems that 37-year-old Jones has no desire to fight the young and hungry Englishman. Their hypothetical matchup would be nothing like the one with Miocic.

Jon Jones / Photo: © Jeff Bottari / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

Let’s see if Jones can find the strength to take on an incredibly dangerous contender who can finish his opponent with both a punch and a hold.

Whatever John decides, he will still not lose his status as the greatest mixed martial artist, who once became the youngest champion in UFC history, and now continues to win championship fights, setting record after record. John already has 17 victories in title fights alone, which is an unattainable figure for other fighters in the best league in the world.

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